1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system and a method for transmitting data. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and a method for presenting content to a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of a system that transmits data and presents content to a user is a conventional system for displaying video data or video content. The conventional system includes a monitor or a television (TV) set connected to a set top box. The set top box is connected through a coaxial cable to a cable TV network or a satellite dish for “satellite TV.” The TV set and the set top box are located, for example, in a user's home and receive a multitude of TV channels from a broadcast head end, wherein each TV channel has a multitude of programs during a typical day. The broadcast head end may further transmit an electronic program guide. In order to select and watch a certain program, the user controls, for example, the set top box to tune to a desired channel. The TV set receives a video signal from the set top box and displays the program of the desired channel.
A user may expand the system by connecting a video recorder to the TV set and the set top box to personalize television viewing by recording a program and watching it when it is convenient for the user. Further, the user may subscribe to and receive premium content such as subscription channels, pay-per-view services or video-on-demand services in order to watch a movie on a certain day and at a time of day for which the user has to pay a per-movie fee. The user may further personalize television viewing by subscribing to services such as ReplayTV (offered by Replay Network) and TiVo (offered by Philips). For instance, the video recorder may be a digital video recorder that includes a hard disk drive with a storage capacity of between 10 GB and 30 GB for recording of up to 30 hours of television programming.
Furthermore, the conventional system may enable the user to subscribe to and receive premium content such as subscription channels, pay-per-view services or video-on-demand services in order to watch a movie on a certain day and at a time of day for which the user has to pay a per-movie fee. Providers of these services, of course, want to attract as many users as possible so that the providers also advertise for their services and specific contents such as movies. For example, video clips or trailers for movies are broadcast on the subscription channels and the pay-per-view channels, or are added as commercials to the other broadcast channels.
As is conventional television, personalized television is therefore also closely associated with advertising display content (e.g., pay-per-view movies) and commercials for products or services. Advertisers try to place their commercials so that a well-defined target group, which is likely to watch certain types of programs, may see the commercials. The movie trailers or the commercials, however, may be “buried” by the multitude of available broadcast channels. In order to better define the target group, the advertisers would like to have as much information as possible about the viewing habits of individual users or a group of users. However, the advertisers' interest conflicts with the users' privacy interest.